I have this old Peugeot purchased 2nd hand in 1976 that has sentimental value- only problem is that whenever I ride it, I nearly kill myself. Wheels are out, the brakes wear out in one ride etc.

So having read the posts here I'm motivated to do it up as a SS. The pictures will be here next week. As this is my first 'go' I'm open to advice, criticism, whatever.

The plan is this:Take off all moving parts. Rub back- esp the rusty bits. Prime frame and spray paint it. The original colour is a dirty yellow which someone told me was a 'signature' colour once?Cranks are really rusty and a friend has given me a bottom bracket and cranks which come apart.( You can take the 53 ring off the 46 and use the 46, not like on the Peugeot.)I could do up the original wheels eventually (they're heavy as lead) but in the meantime I have some cheap Campo's that have been sitting around waiting for a puncture on the road bike.I've ordered a 18 single conversion cog from Wiggle- don't know how that will turn out.

So here's the first big decision. Do I put it all together first just to see if it fits? Or start making everything perfect and then put it together?

The experts will already know that 46 on the front and 18 on the back gives a popular ratio but is a bit worrying where I live due to the hills (mountains). Oh to live on Beach Road!

I am a real learner so hopefully others will be motivated to have a go.Some people have suggested that I do up the bike to its original form, wheels and all but I don't think it would get much use. And some of the parts are broken (front deraillier, brakes are s$%#t.Pictures coming, but in the meantime, any thoughts?

celeste boy wrote:So having read the posts here I'm motivated to do it up as a SS....The experts will already know that 46 on the front and 18 on the back gives a popular ratio but is a bit worrying where I live due to the hills (mountains).

Have you ever ridden a single speed before? I live in a slightly hilly area (not mountains... ) and I can't live without gears. Admittedly, I'm still getting back into cycling, so this might change at some point over the next few years. For now its, "give me gears or give me an asthma attack!"

celeste boy wrote:Some people have suggested that I do up the bike to its original form, wheels and all but I don't think it would get much use. And some of the parts are broken (front deraillier, brakes are s$%#t.

I dunno man. Bits from the 70s and 80s aren't hard to find. Depending on whether you prefer function over form, you could even put some newer bits on it. The traps to watch out for are rear axle spacing, BB threads and headset threads.

You could easily turn it into a functional commuter with a bit of naus and elbow grease.

My update was lost on the weekend so here goes.The bottom bracket proved very difficult to remove. I resorted to an angle grinder to cut the axle. There was no way those cotter pins were moving. One side came apart but the other side needed some heat to loosen up.Now I have the frame stripped and ready for sand blasting.The bottom bracket may be a problem as it is Italian threads- they both screw in the same way, like a normal screw.It means i won't be able to use the bottom bracket and pedals that my friend has given me.Sheldon Brown says these French bikes circa 1975 are problematic and should only be done up for sentimental reasons- but that's me.

The headset was completely shot with missing ball bearings and cracked ball holders. That will be major job no. 2.Thank you for the link...................? It was helpful but your post has gone too so you are unknown now.Pictures next. Found a place to supply the decals but they would like $80 for a set of decals. Maybe missing out on that one!

celeste boy wrote:The bottom bracket may be a problem as it is Italian threads- they both screw in the same way, like a normal screw.

Hi, are you sure you have Italian threads in the BB? I would have thought they'd be French (35 x 1, both RH thread) - my 1975 Peugeot is.

There's at least a couple of options these days:Phil Wood BB. They can supply the correct threaded cups to suit.Theadless BB. YST is one brand that comes to mind.

Good luck with the restoration .

+1 on the size. Italian threads are easy to tell because they're bigger (36 x 1mm). The BB your mate gave you will virtually slide in and out of the shell if it is Italian. If it is a French thread the BB will be almost the right size (but the thread pitch won't match).

I'm crossing my fingers for you to have Italian (lots of options available) but I'm not confident.

What do the bearing surfaces of the cups look like? Any chance of re-using the cups with just a new BB axle?

What do the bearing surfaces of the cups look like? Any chance of re-using the cups with just a new BB axle?

Cheers,

Cameron

Cameron, Do you mean one of the cups that i have misplaced and searched the whole garage for? And had 3 inches of rain which flooded the place!Thanks for the help and encouragement guys. I'm having my first go at pictures so bear with me.

Darn, I can't load pictures from my own PC. If anyone has any ideas so that i can easily display pictures I'm open to suggestions. I'm not a fan of facebook or twitter or any of those things. I am a member of another forum that lets me post pictures from my PC. Would that work?

Yeah, that would probably work if the picture had a unique URL attached to it. Otherwise you probably would need Flickr or Photobucket. If you haven't got one i'd create one. You can alter your preferences in Flickr so that you are the only one who can view your pictures and you can restrict information to be seen on yourself if you are worried about privacy.

Re gearing, i can strongly recommend 42-16, my commute takes me over a mountain range and it provides the best compromise between being able to ride up hills but still getting a decent speed on the flat without spinning too fast.

When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments- Elizabeth West.

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